Editor,
Mahindra Finance is very particular when it comes to recovering its loan from customers. Even a slight delay in repayment of instalments result in continuous calls. But amazingly when the loan is cleared and the client asks for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to state that he/she has cleared the loan, Mahindra Finance does not care to reply. It is very discouraging for potential clients to experience such a dismal response when it is the Company’s turn to reciprocate a simple request for an “NOC.” When they look for potential clients they pursue them to the point of being a nuisance but when everything has been set and done clients are no longer important to their prestigious organization. Mahindra Finance should wake up before the reputation of the Company is drastically affected due to their utter and blatant disregard to provide service to their clients.
Yous etc.,
Pynshai Syiem,
Via email
Justice for our children!
Editor,
This refers to the article, “State to be made accountable” (ST, August 17, 2018) on child abuse by Dr. Oishee Mukherjee. It is a shame that child shelter homes in Muzaffarpur in Bihar and Deoria in Uttar Pradesh have been used for sexual exploitation of children. Surprisingly, adverse reports on those shelter homes had allegedly been ignored. While the Muzaffarpur Social Welfare Department had given an adverse report on the shelter home, the Deoria shelter continued to flourish even after the suspension of its licence.
Be it cruel exploitation of children in shelter homes or callous attitude in controlling those homes or engaging children in labour or keeping millions of children hungry in our country and thus making their growth stunted forever – it shows that we do not want to take care of our future citizens. What will we answer if God asks us why we let milk and honey go down the drain to cool off his head depriving his children of food? We sweep the fact that we fail our children, under the carpet of overpopulation. But it is a lame excuse. To know how densely a country is populated, we must study the figure of population density and not just the number of population. Population density is calculated by dividing the population by the area.
According to 2011 census, the population density of India is 382 per square kilometre but it is as high as 488 per square kilometre in the Netherlands. Now, if we compare the Human Development Index rank of these two countries, we will see that India is stuck at the HDI rank of 131st but the Netherlands is at the enviable 7th position. While we have achieved only 74.4 per cent literacy, the Netherlands has got 99 per cent. The fact of the matter is we fail to adopt the policy of inclusive growth for human development and labour intensive technology for creating an employment bridge that can take the food to hungry mouths. As a result, while astronomical amount of food items are left to rot; 48.2 million children in India are facing hunger, malnutrition and stunted growth.
Children do not have voting rights. But if we neglect our children, we will simply destroy our future. How can a country be strong if its future workforce remains malnourished, stunted, unskilled and traumatized? We easily understand the importance of our future citizens when it comes to our own children. Strangely enough our vision becomes blurred when we talk about the children of our own country!
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Is India really free today?
Editor,
For 72 years now, we have been celebrating freedom and lauding and commending our nation and our freedom fighters. Every year August 15 evokes patriotism and love for our country. Special functions are organized, special messages and photographs are shared on social media, long stories, articles and memories are written and published. There are widespread rallies and jamborees on August 15. There was a time every freedom fighter, every person, every Indian fought for their freedom, their liberty, their nation in unity and integrity. It is said, 72 years ago that the Partition would ensure that the two nations- India and Pakistan would live peacefully and that it would limit bloodshed. Partition was for a cause they said.
But what about the present scenario in our country? The country was divided into a major two parts then; the country is divided into innumerable parts today. Caste, creed, race, class, color, occupation, sex, religion are a few prejudices overpowering the free and patriotic minds of people today. There is a sense of utmost and infinite freedom in every person on every patriotic day. When will the sense of bias, hatred, inferiority, discrimination and prejudice towards each other, towards the society, towards the downtrodden, the oppressed, turn into empathy, compassion, love, unity and above all equality. Because people come under the category of a superior and prestigious caste or religion or occupation, it does not give them the right and the authority to look down on the inferior castes or to insult and slot people into different categories and biases.
When there is absence of basic courtesy, humanity and equality within the nation, celebrating freedom and liberty looks like a mere showcase of pretence and sham. Does freedom and patriotism even carry a meaning when the mind, the heart, the soul, is biased?
Yours etc.,
Avantika Sharma,
Via email
Surplus Electricity Bill at Laitryngew
Editor,
The MeECL office located at Mawmluh, Sohra has failed on all fronts. With deep anguish and despair, the residents of Laitryngew have been crying foul at the sudden and periodical rise of electricity bill which had affected both the haves and the have-nots alike. It is surprising that even when the electricity has been disconnected, still the current bill (not outstanding bill) was being distributed from the said office. When the line was disconnected and the meter had stopped working, how was the current bill generated? Of course, the outstanding bill needs to be paid. This shows that the meter reading is being done and manipulated from the office rather than taken by a meter reader. If so, why need a meter or a meter reader? For instance, in my house, the present meter reading was 5905 and previous reading 5849. The units consumed should have been 5905 – 5849 = 56 units or 56 kwh on that particular month. But surprisingly, when the bill came, it showed that the present bill was 6095 which was an excess of 190 units. When the electricity has been disconnected from where from did the concerned authority charge this inflated bill of 190 units? Is this not a case of theft and injustice? Just imagine how many voiceless families and individuals of Laitryngew alone have been affected and become the victims of this illegality, fraud, and malpractice of MeECL personnel.
The irony part of this whole drama is that when I tried to discuss with the Lady Engineer In-charge, she harshly responded that I should pay that FAKE bill also and hastily left the room in the middle of our conversation. None in the world would like that type of stubborn attitude especially from the officer in-charge. This is an indication of inhuman treatment and exploitation meted out to the public and a clear violation of human rights. Hence I have no choice but to publicly and openly plead with the higher authorities to look into this matter very seriously and it would be best if we get new, humane and reliable workers especially for the post of Engineer In- charge who can serve the people with empathy and understanding.
Yours etc.,
John B. Kynta
Laitryngew –Sohra